New Year, new country?

New Year, new country?

New Year, new country?

New Year, new country?

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New Year, new country?

Posted on 06 January 2017

If your New Year resolution was to make a fresh start, we hope you haven’t given up on it yet! Deciding to move overseas is about as life-changing – and life enhancing – as a decision gets, so let us talk you through some of the big decisions you need to make.

Can you afford it?

Moving overseas can be expensive, with the cost of buying a home, shipping your belongings and so much more. So you need to take a realistic look at your finances. Are you fully aware of the cost of living in your host country and the cost of real estate if you’re planning on purchasing a home? Decide a realistic sum of money you’ll require to stay afloat until you start working again. If you are retired or aren’t planning to get a job, make sure you’ve calculated correctly what your living costs will be.

On the other hand, with the cost of living so much lower in many other countries, can those on a UK pension, for example, afford not to move abroad?

You spent a lifetime accumulating your possessions, now what ever will you do with them when you move overseas? Unless you want the expense of storage, your options are: keep it, sell it, gift it or dump it. Some people see the thrill of moving abroad as the chance to start over, while others want to ease the stress with the familiarity of their old possessions. What sort are you?

Do you need to improve any skills?

You’re well equipped with the skills needed to thrive in your home environment. You speak the language, you understand the job market and you unconsciously understand the social norms and customs of your country. Depending on where you plan to relocate, you may need to brush up on your language skills, or learn a new language altogether. Start doing this as early as possible and it will boost your confidence when you come to buy.

Why are you going?

Finally, please take your place on the psychiatrist’s couch for a moment. A move overseas will certainly provide you with a new experience and a fresh start, but one of the main reasons why expats return is because they were trying to run away from something that they probably ought to sort out. Once the glitz and glam of a new location has begun to fade, old problems can resurface, so have a think about your real motivations for the move. If you have any unresolved issues or problems, they are likely to accompany you on your journey.

All this being said, living overseas is likely to be the best decision you will ever make. Make sure all necessary research has been done on your host country, that your finances are in order and you are emotionally ready. You will never know what it’s like living overseas unless you try. If things don’t turn out as you’ve planned, the rest of the world awaits you, or home is just a plane ticket away…